prevalence

Rarely prev·a·lent·ness

[prev-uh-luhns]

noun

1. the condition of being prevalent, or widespread.

   The study examines the prevalence of profanity in video games.

2. the degree to which something is prevalent or widespread, especially a disease, disorder, or pathogen.

   The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rising worldwide.

Other Word Forms

• nonprevalence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prevalence¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from French prévalence, from Latin praevalēntia, from praevalent-, stem of praevalēns (present participle of praevalēre “to be more able”) + -ia -y ³ ( def. ); prevail ( def. )

Related Words

• pervasiveness 
• popularity 

When To Use

What does prevalence mean?

Prevalence is the state or condition of being widespread or in general use or acceptance.Prevalence is the noun form of the adjective prevalent, meaning widespread, common, or extensive.In the context of medicine, prevalence refers to how widespread a disease is—specifically, the total number of cases in a population at a given time.Example: The prevalence of social media use among teens is often linked to the rise in mental health issues like anxiety.